2014 Legislative Session Review

Resident Advocacy Program

The Resident Advocacy Program (RAP) offers ob/gyn residents the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of policy and political factors that shape the future of obstetrics and gynecology. RAP’s primary goal is to better prepare a new generation of physicians to influence the future of our healthcare delivery system through the recognition of the physician’s role as the medical expert and leading advocate for women’s health in policy and government.

The groups from Montefiore and NYU met and received a personal tour of the Hall of Governors by Governor Cuomo.

Legislation

Midwifery Birth Centers - This bill would provide for the creation, establishment, and operation of birth centers which could be owned and operated solely by midwives.

Current law allows for the creation and operation of free standing birth centers in New York and ensures essential patient safety provisions and contingency plans are adhered through government oversight and regulation.

The committee did a great deal of work on this bill in the last weeks of session by formulating a position; drafting an opposition memo for distribution to the entire legislature; developing proposed amendments; and lobbying extensively.

Medical Liability Bills – A package of bills supported by trial lawyers are of great concern, which prompted a coalition of medical specialties and MSSNY to form and lobby against their passage. The coalition was successful in preventing all the bills from moving through both houses, bills included the following:

Extension of the statute of limitations for medical malpractice- Sponsor’s Memo

CME Requirements - The bill would require physicians to take every two years coursework on I-Stop and drug enforcement administration requirements for prescribing control substances; pain management; appropriate prescribing; managing acute pain; pain; palliative medicine; preventative, screening and signs of addiction; responses to abuse and addiction; and end of life care.

District II along with a coalition of medical specialty societies and MSSNY voiced our opposition with the intention of stopping the bill from passage in the Assembly.